Once a Year
by jessicac6
Summary: When she spotted the bear, she started slowly backing up. *crack* She looked down and saw that she had stepped on loose rock from the ruins. She shouldn't have come here. She looked up and made eye contact with the bear, knowing she was caught. But when she looked into it's eyes she saw something familiar that made her heart skip a beat. Something she only got to see once a year.
1. Chapter 1

She awoke slowly as the early morning light drifted into her room, causing her eyes to sting when it reached them. Sleepily, she rubbed them with the backs of her hands then froze realizing what day it was. In a bright red flurry she jumped out of bed and rushed to put on her favorite turquoise dress. As she made her way to her bedroom door she took a quick glance into the mirror; should she even make an attempt at fixing her hair? Not that she didn't love her fiery auburn hair with all its crazy curls, but her mother might scold her for not smoothing it down and trying to look nice for all the visitors that were bound to come today. That was the pain of being a princess; you had to care about the way you looked. Well, pretend that you cared as was the case when it came to Merida. Her mother, Queen Elinor, had tried to distill all the rules and regulations being a part of royalty came with, but it just wasn't for Merida. She enjoyed the outdoors, fairy tales, riding her horse, but most of all she loved archery. Unfortunately, in her mother's eyes none of those things were fit for a lady. She took another glance at herself in the mirror. Oh hell, it's not like her hair would stay down anyways. She huffed and quickly exited the room.

While making her way down the stone stairs she pondered on whether or not she should try to sneak past her family and skip out on whatever they had planned for her that day. A light wind blew through one of the windows of the castle wall and the smell of the fresh air confirmed that she should ditch today's events. Before she could act on her decision, though, her three little brothers came tumbling down the stairs, taking her with them. They came to a crashing halt at the bottom of the steps, leaving Merida feeling slightly bruised.

She sat up and frowned at the boys. "Harris, Hubert, Hamish, come here you little brats!" She barked, and got up to chase down her squealing little brothers. As soon as she caught them, she started attacking them with tickles. Between giggles she shouted at them, "You ruined my plan, you numpty's!"

She heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her, and her eyelids unconsciously scrunched together. 'Oh dear, did she hear me? Please tell me she didn't hear me,' Merida silently prayed.

"What plan?" her mother's voice sternly questioned. Merida gulped and turned to face her mother. As she did so, she stood up and dusted off her dress. "I'm not sure what you mean, mother," she replied sweetly. Oh no. She had heard her. The triplets chuckled at hearing their older sister try to sweet talk their mother as they knew it was not going to go well.

"Do not lie to me, Merida," Elinor insisted.

"Mother," Merida started, wondering if she'll be able to get herself out of this one, "I was only going to go do today's chores since it's still early and I thought I could get them done before you all woke." She only hoped her mother didn't hear the quavering in her voice. When she saw the Queen's stern face relax and smile she let out a small sigh of relief.

"Nonsense, Merida, I will not have you doing chores. I'll get someone else to do them today. After all, what kind of mother would I be if I made my only daughter do chores on her sixteenth birthday?"

'What kind of mother would force their only daughter to be pent up inside on such a beautiful day, even if it was for the occasion of the princess' sixteenth birthday?' Merida asked herself. However, she didn't voice this question to her mother. They already weren't getting along enough. She'd like to say it was just because she had a nagging mother, but the events that were to start today were causing an even greater rift between them. She knew that now she was sixteen she was considered of marriageable age and that the gathering at the castle today was to basically make a show of herself to all of the potential suitors. She hated the idea of arranged marriage. Sure it had worked out for her mother and father, but the love between them had taken years to grow. Call her a hopeless romantic, but she knew she wouldn't be able to force herself to love someone. She wanted an exhilarating love that swept her off her feet, that could leave as quickly as it came, and that was capable of breaking her heart. She would play along for today, but she knew the second any letters came men requesting to court her that she would deny them permission. She held onto the hope that one day she would be able to find true love and that she would be able to make the choice to spend the rest of her life with that person instead of being forced to marry someone because it would bring peace between families.

Again she sighed, but not with relief. She was not going to look forward to today. She forced a smile, "Thank you, mother."

"Now let's go get you presentable for today," smiled Elinor, and Merida could swear there was a wicked glint in her mother's eyes.

She was right. Today was a long day. She looked out the window and saw that the sun was no longer high in the sky, but starting to creep downward towards where it would slowly set. Oh how she had wanted to go outside and enjoy the great weather today. She closed her eyes and imagined herself on her beautiful dark brown horse Angus, riding through the forest feeling the rush of cool wind blowing through her bright locks of hair. She smiled at the thought of how her day should have went, but her daydream was interrupted by her mother's voice.

"Merida, are you listening to me? I said you could go now," her mother repeated. "I know you better than you think I do and it's obvious you're itching to go for a ride."

'Is this really happening?' Merida thought, in awe. Her mother had just given her permission to leave the castle! She thought she was going to have to sneak out again this year. It wasn't often that she was allowed outside the castle walls on her own. Usually she had to be accompanied by a group of guards along with her father, King Fergus. Ever since Fergus had been attacked by the monstrous bear, Mor'du, and lost his leg in the fight he wouldn't let any of the family outside without extreme protection. She knew her mother was going out on a limb for her as she was sure that her father didn't know about what her mother had just given her permission to do. It was times like these that she was glad Elenor was her mother. She knew what it was like to feel the need to stretch your wings every once in a while, although for her mother awhile meant every few years and for Merida it meant every week.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," squealed Merida. She glanced back out the window at the ever lowering sun. If she wanted to have a long enough ride she would have to go now without changing out of her best dress. She looked down at the silver-blue silk gown that was supposed to 'bring out her eyes.' It meant nothing to her, but she decided to be extra careful today because she knew it meant a lot to her mother. It was, after all, the dress that her mother had worn when she'd first met Merida's father. She gave a quick peck on her mother's cheek as a thank you and rapidly walked out of the main hall and headed to the stables. She took off the ridiculous white cap she was wearing that went along with the dress and left it with her bow and arrow. She wasn't going to bring it today, all she wanted to do was ride quick as lightning and feel the cooling breeze that came with dusk. She gave Angus an apple and jumped onto his back as he began to gallop forward and out of the castle walls. Merida felt a great sense of freedom as she passed through the gate at the wall. She loved it out here in the open forest.

As they leapt deeper and deeper into the forest, she noticed the glowing blue wisps that seemed to dance in front of her. They made a trail through the forest as if leading her somewhere. A small smile formed on her lips. This was what she had been waiting for all day. The one thing she looked forward to every year, that just so coincidentally happened on her birthday. She got off of Angus and started to lead him while following the Will O' the Wisps, knowing that if she didn't do so he would run away out of fear. He should be used to it by now, it was basically a tradition for her birthday. They didn't frighten her, though, for she knew where, rather _who_, they were taking her to. Her heart leaped in excitement.

She was finally going to see him again.


	2. Chapter 2

The setting sun was nearing the cusp between earth and sky, the shadows of the forest growing ever longer, but Merida knew she was almost there. She had been there every birthday since she turned seven and whenever she was allowed out of the castle, even when she knew he wouldn't be there.

Within a few minutes she came to a clearing that opened to a circular formation of stones that towered over even her father. Nobody knew how they got there, but there were rumors of them being magic, and the idea of it thrilled her.

The last Will O' the Whisp disappeared so Merida left Angus to graze on the grass while she made her way to the pillars. As she got closer she saw that there were two legs sticking out the other side of one, sprawled out on the meadowy grass. She snuck closer to the person, trying her hardest not to be her. She was about to jump out and scare the person but right as she was going to do the man leaped up and grabbed her, swinging her around.

She screamed at this, but in delight not fear. They were both laughing as he spun her faster and faster.

"Set me down or else I'm going to vomit," she warned him, and he slowly stopped spinning her and placed her on the grass. She tried walking but lost her balance and fell on the ground, which caused him to laugh even harder.

"Here, here, let me help you up," he said while trying, unsuccessfully, to stifle his laughter. She ignored his offer and got up on her own very slowly so that she wouldn't fall over again. She dusted off her dress and looked up at him. His eyes were scrunched up from the giant smile he was hiding behind his hand. The lines on his face smoothed over and his hand went back down to his side. They stood there staring at eachother for a few seconds before a wide grin broke across Merida's face and she jumped forward and tackled him to the ground, her arms around his neck.

He let out a chuckle into her hair and looked at her from the corner of his eye, "Did you miss me that much, squirt?"

"Oh shut up and hug me back, "she said, and so he wrapped his arms around her. They soon released eachother and Merida sat down across from him.

"Happy Birthday," he told her, his eyes shining in the dark.

"Yeah, whatever," she looked away, a light smile on her lips.

"How old are you now, twelve?" he teased, knowing it bothered her.

"I'm sixteen now," she snapped at him with a bitter tone in her voice.

"Hey, hey, I was just kidding. I remember how old you are," he replied lightly.

She looked away from him. "So how have you been?" She wanted to change the topic.

"Fine. Same old, same old." She hated how he never really answered her questions when she asked him something about himself. It was like this every time she saw him. She tried digging up information. She would be fine with anything really, but he never wavered or let up anything, which further frustrated her and added to her curiosity. On her twelfth birthday she brought this up but he snapped at her and they had gotten into an argument. She was so infuriated with him that she stormed off back home and the whole night she couldn't sleep. The next morning she regretted leaving him and snuck out to go see him again but when she got there he was gone. When she got home she was scolded for going out alone but that was nothing compared to how she felt when she saw he wasn't there. The whole rest of the year she kept thinking he wasn't going to show up on her next birthday, but to her surprise he was there. Neither of them brought up what happened on that birthday again but she could feel the tension in his voice whenever she remotely asked him something personal.

"How about yourself? Any suitors?" he winked, teasing her again.

She didn't respond to his question. This was bothering her more than it should have, but today seeing all the men that came to the castle made her on edge and frankly the whole ordeal frightened her. She wasn't ready for all this; she wasn't ready to grow up. Settling down, having a husband, bearing his children, this wasn't what she wanted. She wanted the freedom to pursue her passions, and none of those men today would let her do that if she married them. Everything felt like it was closing in around her, constricting her. Just thinking about it tightened her heart and stiffened her lungs.

She stood up and walked a few steps away from him, needing to breath. She looked up at the stars that were now out in the sky and choked out a small sob. She heard a rustling in the grass and felt his warmth from behind her.

"Hey," he whispered, "Are you okay?" He put a hand on her shoulder. It helped, but wasn't enough to comfort her. She turned into his arms and he pulled her close. She gripped onto the fabric of his loose black shirt, the tears in her eyes spilling over.

"I'm scared," she cried into him.

"Don't worry, I won't let any of them take you. I'll scare them away for you, even hurt them if I have to," he raised an eyebrow at her.

She laughed lightly through her tears, "But you're never here."

"Just because you don't see me around doesn't mean I'm not here," he corrected her.

"I wish I could see you all the time," she breathed, and he held her closer. She rested her cheek against his chest and felt the warmth from his body dry her tears.

"I promise you, I will always protect you."

The seriousness she heard in his voice made her lift up her head. She saw the same emotion displayed in his bright green eyes. She hadn't even realized how close their faces had gotten towards eachother until his lips pressed against hers. They were soft and gentle and made her feel passion that she didn't know she could feel for anyone. It made her feel dangerous and safe at the same time. It made her feel alive. She kissed him back fervently and felt him smile. She smiled back and looked up into his eyes. She had never seen them this close before and noticed that there were specks of warm brown mixed into the rich green. They laid down onto the grass and she nuzzled her face on his chest. His arms were around her and his head rested on top of hers. They stayed that way until they both fell asleep, feeling more content than ever in their lives.

Merida awoke the next morning the same as the day before with the sun shining brightly in her eyes. She rubbed away the sleep and looked around her. She was still in the clearing in the forest. She turned and saw Angus asleep a few yards behind her. As her mind cleared the fog that came with just waking up she remembered what happened the last night and looked next to her. He wasn't there. She looked around and didn't see him.

She sighed and laid back down. She turned onto her side, looking at the indention in the grass beside her. It was then that she noticed something there. She sat up and gently picked up what he had left her-flowers. They were pale blue Forget-Me-Nots.

She stood up and put them into her dress pocket. She then walked over to Angus and woke him up so they could ride back home. As she mounted her horse she looked into rising sun and came to a realization.

She would never be able to forget him.

**A/N: Sorry if updates are slightly irregular. I have a busy work schedule and I'm trying to come out with new chapters on my days off. I'm going to promise at least one chapter a week but no more than two since I never get more than that many days off. Thank you everyone who has followed, favorited, and/or reviewed this story! You are the motivation I have to keep on writing. Keep it up!**


	3. Chapter 3

Hurriedly, she mounted Angus and took off through the forest. If she was quick enough she could get home without her mother noticing that she was gone all night, since the sun had barely came up to the lower part of the hillside. Her mind wandered back to what happened the night before and her breathing quickened with excitement at the memory. She had never kissed a boy before but she couldn't imagine it being any more perfect than it was last night. Before her sixteenth birthday she had never even considered him more than a friend, but now? Now she didn't know what to feel about it all. She would be lying if she said she wasn't attracted to him, but he had always came across as "off limits." He was tall and would appear thin if she hadn't felt the muscles beneath his shirt when he held her. His dark straight hair fell below his shoulders but was usually tied up out of his face and his eyebrows were always either furrowed together or raised in a sarcastic expression. Long eyelashes framed his brilliant green eyes and his face was centered by a thin straight nose. His mouth was slightly upturned at the corners and his smile was crooked, and after last night she now knew that his bottom lip was a bit fuller than the top one and they were both unbelievably soft. She blushed thinking about it and shook the thought out of her head.

She took a deep breath and the cool morning air helped clear her mind. They were now close to the castle and slowed so they wouldn't be heard by the guards. She peeked out behind one of the bushes on the edge of the forest and took a look at the two men on watch. She was lucky; she could hear their snoring from across the field that separated the forest from the castle. She led Angus up on foot since it was quieter and they quickly snuck past the guards.

Once inside the walls she glanced around to check if anyone was up but it seemed as though everyone was still asleep. For once she was thankful for yesterdays festivities since they had probably kept everyone up late, hopefully including her mother. There had been three visiting families for her to entertain, afterall. She gained confidence at the thought that she most likely wouldn't get caught.

She took Angus to his stall and filled up his trough with water and put some oats in a bucket for him to eat. She gathered up her cap, bow, and arrows that she left in the stables and made her way towards her room. She was light on her feet as she went up the stairs and especially past her parents' bedroom door. Finally she was standing in front her own room. She gently turned the knob and pushed open the door. When it was cracked enough for her head to fit she peeked through: the room was empty. She pushed the door open further and quietly shut it behind her. She stripped off her clothes and put on her night gown and crawled into her bed. She was sore from sleeping most of the night on the ground but she didn't regret it one bit. Her eyelids drooped and sleep came almost instantly.

* * *

It had been almost six months since Merida turned sixteen and her mother was pressuring her into choosing a husband. For the first month Queen Elinor was understanding and gave her daughter time to adjust to the changes that were going on, but over the course of the last few months she'd grown impatient with Merida and had began forcing her to meet with her potential suitors. She'd met with young men from all around their kingdom and because she hadn't shown particular interest in any of them her mother wittled it down to the sons of King Fergus' closest allies and old friends. From what Merida had gathered from her meetings with the three men, one was a spoiled pretty boy, one she couldn't understand what he was saying most of the time, and one was just plain weird. Even without this information, she knew she couldn't marry one of them. It may bring the families together, but Merida couldn't go through with it. Not when a certain pair of green eyes haunted her dreams every night.

She layed in bed while thinking over the past few months, when she heard a crash come from downstairs. She jumped out of bed and quickly put on her turquoise dress and headed to the source of the noise. It sounded like it was coming from the dining hall and as she drew nearer she could hear shouting.

"How long is this charade going to take?"

"Yeah, we can't stay here for a year, we have lives to get back to!"

"She needs to choose one of our sons already!"

Merida gasped, realizing they were arguing about her. She felt bad about prolonging their stay at her castle, but how could she tell them that she didn't want to marry any of their sons? She couldn't even confess it to her own mother, let alone three impatient men. She gulped down her anxiety and was about to step into the hall when she heard her mother speak.

"I apologize for my daughter's insolence. Since she has not come to a decision on her own, I suggest we hold a series of games and based on how you perform is how we will pick her husband. I promise you we will have chosen by the end of this week, so if you could just stay for a bit longer then this whole 'charade' as you put it will not be for naught," she smiled at her guests.

After hearing this, Lord Dingwall, Lord MacGuffin, and Lord Macintosh all grunted in agreement. Pleased with their silent approval, the Queen turned to her husband, "I'm going to go tell everyone in the castle to prepare for Highland Games this week."

Her mother took off through the door to the kitchens on the other side of the room, looking rather excited. Merida silently laughed with disgust. Her mother loved planning events, even ones that hurt her own daughter. She felt her heart drop as the realization of what her mother just said hit her. She would have a husband by the _end of this week._ She was on her horse, galloping out of the castle walls, and into the forest before she even noticed what she was doing. She slowed Angus down to a trot and looked over her shoulder at her home. She could hear the shouts of the guards as they hurriedly saddled up their own horses and went to inform her father. She contemplated going back for fear of how much trouble she'd be in, until she spotted something dancing blue and ghostly in the corner of her eye. Her head snapped forward and she stared with full attention at the single blue spirit in front of her. She patted Angus to walk closer to the Will O' the Wisp, and as they did so a whole trail of them popped up. Angus whinnied with nervousness but she rubbed his side to calm his nerves. His ears perked up and she heard the noise, too. The guards had just rode out of the castle and were heading in their direction. She looked back to the spirits. They were leading into the part of the forest she'd never been to before. Her heels dug into the side of Angus' body without a thought and he galloped forward, following the trail of the Wisps. They raced forward, leaving behind their home.

They kept up like this for over an hour, stopping only once for Angus to take a quick break and drink some water at a stream they stumbled upon. They had lost the guards quickly, thanks to the darkness of the forest. They had slowed down for Angus' sake, but it was also difficult to follow the Will O' the Wisps at that speed because when they reached one it would disappear and reappear at the end of the trail a few yards ahead, making the spirits cycle through quickly. She was thankful for the glow the Wisps offered since the sun didn't seem to reach this part of the forest and the only light came from her silent blue guides. She looked around, not recognizing a thing. Worry of how she was going to return home settled in the pit of her stomach.

'Do I even want to go back?' she asked herself. She shook the thought out of her head, deciding to worry about it later and to focus on what she was doing now. A fog was growing around her and she rubbed her arms wishing she had brought her cloak. The fog hid everything from her sight except for what was a few feet around her. They slowly followed the spirits one by one. She heard a crunch from under Angus' hoof and stopped him. She jumped down to see what it was. She crouched down to inspect the ground and found a block of stone that looked similar to the kind that made up her castle. She stood up ready to mount her horse again but quickly glanced around. Something wasn't right. She realized that the last wisp had disappeared. She felt the worry come back, but just then the fog began to dissipate and she could barely make out what looked like the ruins of a castle on top of a hill in front of her. She grabbed the reigns and walked Angus over to one of the now sparse trees around her and tethered him to it. She then made her way up the hill and to the ruins.

There were fallen walls laying on the ground all around her and the ones that were still standing didn't look like they were going to be doing so for much longer. She quietly walked through the ruins, careful not to bump into anything since it all looked so fragile. She wondered what this place used to be. It looked so old, like a shell of what her home was like. It was much bigger than hers, though. The only thing she thought it could be was the old kingdom she'd heard about in fairy tails. Four princes had ruled there but one of them had turned against the others and tried to take over. There had been a great battle and the kingdom had fallen because of it. She walked through the ruins faster now, full of excitement at the prospect of what she'd come across.

Because of the new speed that she walked through the castle with, she'd forgotten that she should be carefull where she stepped and walked onto a brittle part of the flooring. It crumbled and she fell through to a room below. She coughed from inhaling the dust that got stirred up and stood up, patting it out of her dress. She looked around and noticed four large chairs against the back wall. She walked up to them. They appeared to be thrones. She glanced at the rest of the room. It reminded her of the throne room at home. She then spotted a large stone slab. She stepped towards it rubbed her hands over the grooves in it. It had been scoulpted into three men, but the right of it seemed to have broken off. She looked on the ground next to it and found the missing piece. There was another man scoulpted into that piece.

"The fourth brother!" she gasped. She studied it closer. Strange, she swore the man looked familiar. Before she could make the connection, she heard something shift behind her. Her body froze; she had thought she was alone. Carefully she turned to inspect who else was there.

When she spotted the bear, she started slowly backing up. *crack* She looked down and saw that she had stepped on loose rock from the ruins. She shouldn't have come here. She should be at home. She looked up and made eye contact with the giant bear, knowing she was caught. But when she looked into its eyes she saw something familiar, that made her heart skip a beat; something she'd been dreaming of for the past six months. Something she only got to see once a year.

* * *

**A/N: I know it's a day late, I'm sorry! But this one is longer, so I hope that makes up for it! I had such bad writers block. I kept thinking at work this whole week about what I should write, then I sat down today and all the inspiration suddenly hit me. I hate myself sometimes, I swear. Well, I'm off to see my best friend, and I'm late! So enjoy, and please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

"No way," she thought aloud.

And it was because she spoke that the moment they were in unfroze. She saw the bears eyes begin to dilate and turn black. But before any trace of the green was completely gone, the bear let out a guttural roar that she could swear sounded like the word "go." She rapidly climbed the wall of rubble under the hole that she fell through and pulled herself up into the room above. She took one quick glance back at the bear and saw it holding itself back from coming after her before she ran down the hill to Angus. She didn't know how long the bear was going to be able to control itself so she untied her horse as fast as she could. She jumped on and soon they were off, heading what she thought was the way back to her castle.

It had been hours since she left her home and the sun had passed through the sky and was close to setting. She didn't think the forest could get any darker but with the sun going down it reached an almost pitch black. It was almost impossible to navigate through the forest since she no longer had a light source and the trees were getting denser by the minute, but she didn't know if the bear had followed her from the ruins and her fear pushed her and Angus to go as quickly as they could. She heard thunder rolling in the distance and pressed Angus to go quicker. The last thing they needed was to get stuck out here in a storm. They rode as fast as they could manage but she still had no idea where they were. Almost an hour went by and it seemed like they were making no progress. The sun had just set and now she had no idea which was the right direction to go. She slowed Angus and decided they should just set up camp for the night hoping that the storm passed them by and continue on tomorrow morning, but right at that moment a streak of lightning flashed through the sky lighting up the whole forest. And what she saw during those blinding few seconds changed her decision. The bear was right up the hill she had just rode down. It must have been tracking her smell from the ruins. It let out an inhuman roar meaning it must have spotted her in those few seconds as well.

She dug her heels into Angus' side, and they made their way as fast as they could through the trees. Another flash of lightning went through the sky and Merida jerked her head to the side to look behind her. She couldn't see the bear, but she assumed it was after them. She felt a few drops of rain land on her face before the downpour started. The rain didn't impair her sight since the darkness already make it impossible to see, but it did make her cold and she was already shivering out of fear. Her body ached from riding all day and the shivering just made it worse. The rain also made everything blurry whenever the forest lit up from the lightning, so she couldn't use those occasional few seconds to get her bearings anymore.

She was about to give up when the rain slowed for a second and another bolt of lightning lit up the trees. At first she thought her mind was playing tricks on her but when she rode forward she discovered that it wasn't. She jumped down and pulled Angus up to the door with her. She knocked, hoping someone was home. She stepped back, trying to get a better look at the house that was built into the hillside, when the door cracked open and a bit of light shone through.

"Who's there?" she heard a hoarse voice call out, "Show yourself."

She stepped into the light, "Please, I'm lost and I need help." She could feel tears start to well up in her eyes. She was exhausted, physically and emotionally.

"It's after you, isn't it?" the person asked.

She nodded, "Please, help me." A sob forced its way out of her mouth.

"I'll need something in return."

"Here," she pulled off her necklace, "You can take this." She held it out and as the person opened the door further, her vision went blurry and she collapsed on the earth below.

* * *

She woke to the smell of chocolate. She opened her eyes and let them adjust to the light that spilled in through the windows. Her memory came back to her and she sat up in the pile of quilts on the small bed she laid in. Her eyes darted around the room.

"Ah, you're awake now. Here, drink this. It'll warm you up." A small old woman came towards here with a cup of something in her hand. Merida took it and brought it up to her mouth. It was rich and warmed her up on the inside. It was where the chocolatey smell had been coming from.

"Where's Angus?" she asked, feeling like she could trust the woman in front of her.

"Your horse?" She nodded. "I just let him outside to graze, the rain just barely cleared up last night. It's a big storm. But we're only in the calm right now, it'll pick up again tomorrow I'd say." The old woman turned and walked into another room, leaving Merida to get dressed. She stood up, feeling much better after having the hot drink. Her clothes had been dried while she was asleep and were warm and comfortable when she pulled them on. She walked out of the bedroom and into the next room. It was full of odd wooden bear carvings.

"How long was I out?" she asked the woman as she continued looking at the carvings.

"Almost three days. You were pretty tired. What were you running from, aside from the bear that is." The old woman looked up at her with a small smile and knowing eyes.

"You know about the bear?" Merida gasped.

"Well, you could say that I'm the one who made him who he is today." She let out a laugh and went over to look out a window.

"'Him?' Not it?"

The old woman glanced over her shoulder, "Oh, don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet."

Merida thought back to the bear. Back to when she saw it in the throne room. She remembered it's green eyes and the memory made her heart swell.

"Wait...no. How is that possible? He couldn't be...could he? Wait, so that makes you..."

"A witch," the old woman finished for her. Merida unconsciously took a step back. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not a bad witch. Not necessarily a good one either, but that's besides the point. I only used my magic on him because he asked me to."

"He asked you to turn him into a bear?" Merida cocked an eyebrow at the witch.

"Well, no, but I gave him what he wanted; the strength of ten men." The witches eyes shined wickedly.

"I...I think I'm going to go," said Merida. She picked up Angus' saddle, and headed towards the door. "Thank you, for taking me in, and for taking care of Angus in my stead."

The witch adressed her as she turned the door knob, "Do you not wish to know how to break the spell?"

Merida froze, before slightly turning. "At what price? I'm afraid I've given you all I have when I gave you my necklace. I have nothing left to pay you with, and I don't wish to be in debt with a witch," she finished and continued out the door.

"I suppose not," the witch cackled to herself. She liked the girls bravery.

After hooking up the saddle and getting onto her horse, Merida rode a few yards south and looked around. To her surprise she recognized the surrounding forest. She laughed with joy and turned to look back at the witches house. She frowned. All that was there was just a plain hill. Maybe she had imagined it, she thought, but, remembering that she was dealing with a witch, the house was probably disguised with some sort of magic which was what had most likely kept the bear from discovering their location.

She waved goodbye to the hillside, hoping the witch was still watching from the window, and continued riding south. Angus knew the area, too, so she didn't need to concentrate on steering him. He knew the way back home from where they were. Her mind wandered back to the revelation she had gotten from the conversation with the witch. So the fairy tale was true, then. The fourth brother who had betrayed his own family had been turned into a bear on his conquest for power. And not just any bear. He was Mor'du, the bear who had tried to kill her father, the bear that was now King Fergus' obsession. It was funny how he was her obsession, too. Remembering those bright green eyes that had plagued her thoughts for months, Merida felt her heart seize up, break, and crumble away. Not only had he betrayed his own family, but, with this realization, it felt as though he had betrayed her heart, too.

* * *

**A/N: So...yeah. I apologize. My internet was down for like a week, and I haven't had a day off in over a week either. My next one isn't for another eight days, a Friday and Saturday for me so I'm at least excited about that! Having the weekend off kind of makes it up for me. This chapter was basically a filler. I'm not too excited over it, but whatever. I at least wanted to introduce the witch into the story. I'm a little bit depressed after this chapter. Nothing happy happened. T-T But I kind of have some of the rest of the story mapped out in my head. Well, I mostly have this one scene that'll happen at the end mapped out in my head. Merida is going to be pretty numb and heartbroken in the next chapter(s) and I'm not looking forward to it...but anyways. All stories have their ups and downs. Please enjoy, and let me know what you thought by reviewing!**


	5. Chapter 5

Desperate to get home, Merida quickened Angus' pace. Normally she would have tried to prolong her rare journey into the forest but after the events that had transpired over the last few days she wanted nothing more that the feel of safety she received from the castle walls. As they ran up the hill, Merida felt a tug pull on her heart. She knew she would have to pass through the giant monoliths to get back home, but she hadn't fathomed how heart-wrenching the memories this place brought up were going to be. She took a deep gulp of air and silently trudged Angus on further. A sense of numbness soon washed over her as she made her way past the towering stones and as she left the final structure behind, all of her built up emotion dissipated from her body and stayed behind as well.

Finally they reached the castle and a twinge of nervousness quivered in Merida's stomach but the feeling went away as quickly as it came. As she rode up to the gate, the guards merely nodded to her and let her inside. Strange, she had expected a different reaction. She hopped down and led Angus to his stall where he deserved to have a nice long rest and a good meal. After taking care of her horse's needs, she walked into the castle expecting to be bombarded by her mother and her over-bearing maid. To her surprise, no such thing occurred. Everything was quiet and seemed normal, like she hadn't disappeared for four days. Walking through the halls of her home, she looked into each room. The cooks were cooking, seamstresses sewing, all in all everyone was going about their everyday business and all acknowledged her with the usual nod. Very strange indeed.

_'Fine,' _she decided_, 'I'll just go up to mother's room.'_ Surely her mother would have something to say. She headed up the stairs and to her mother's room. She could hear her humming to herself and pushed open the door to see her practicing her favorite hobby of embroidering. She didn't even glance up when she spoke to her, "Nice to see that you've returned. I hope you enjoyed your little 'vacation.' Since you seem to think that you're gwoen enough to go out into the forest without permission or even an escort then I assume you are mature enough to choose a husband now?" At this she finally looked up at her daughter.

Merida blanched as she tried to think of a reply, but was cut off by her mother. "I thought so," she said, looking back down at her work while shaking her head.

"We'll be holding the games as soon as this blasted storm is over, " she continued, absentmindedly waving to the dark clouds nearing again in the distance, "Now go wash up, you look an absolute mess and we still have guests to entertain." Merida nodded blankly and went up to her room to gather fresh clothes. She could feel the lump in her throat and her body urging her to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. Normally hearing her mother speak so harshly to her would have caused her to shed a few tears, but the void that she felt in her chest had taken away that emotion, too. After taking a few deep breaths, the lump in her throat went away and she felt normal again, well, as normal as anyone devoid of emotion could feel. She gathered up a rich purple dress embroidered with gold thread, a gold belt, and matching slippers that her mother had made her for her birthday the year before and headed towards the bath. She knew Queen Elinor would be pleased to see her wearing the dress and, who knows, maybe she'll ease up on the pressure to marry if Merida actually began to show an effort and listened to her.

* * *

Although she loved the feel of dirt and a good sweat after a long ride, being clean wasn't too bad either. In another effort to please the queen, she attempted to twist her hair into an elegant plait but she could tell it was already beginning to dry into a frenzy of curls. Hurriedly, she braided her hair and looked into the mirror to admire her work.

_'Not bad,'_ she thought. She could actually see the daughter her mother had wanted in there. She went up to her to room to wait until she was collected for dinner. She tried working on embroidery as another way to please her mother and snacked on crackers and cheese that the maid had brought for her. A few hours later she exasperatedly put down the embroidery and layed back in her bed. She definitely wasn't meant for such delicate things. This was surely a talent her mother hadn't passed down to her. With her arms up and hands behind her head, she slowly shut her eyes and tried to rest. Suddenly a boom sounded throughout the castle. She jumped looking out her window for the source of the noise. A flash shot through the sky and a similar boom shortly followed. Sighing, she layed back down on her bed. She hadn't realized the the storm had rolled back in again. The eye of it must have passed over them a few hours before, but she hadn't mistaken the growing darkness for the night since it was around the time that the sun was setting. She shuddered slightly from the memory of what happened at the beginning of the storm but pushed the thought out of her head.

A light knock came at the door. "Merida, it's time for dinner. I'm coming in." It was her mother. She sat straight up and faced the queen. A slight gasp came out of Queen Elinor's mouth at the sight of her daughter.

"Oh, honey, you look so pretty!" she practically squealed. Merida was tempted to roll her eyes, but fought the urge knowing it would ruin her mother's good mood if she saw.

"Here, I have just the thing," her mother said before running back to her own room. She came back a minute later holding a gold circlet. "I was going to wait until you marriage was announced but seeing you look so...grown up and making an effort, I know that now is the right time to give you this. " Queen Elinor smiled before taking a step towards Merida and placing the circlet on her head. Merida froze. She could hear her mother sniff and wipe a tear out of her eye, "You look absolutely beautiful." But this wasn't what had caused her to stiffen. The gold circlet her mother had given her was inlaid with a single jewel, a brilliant green emerald that painstakingly reminded her of something so familiar.

"Oh, sweetie, please don't cry," her mother said, her eyes twinkling with her own tears. Merida could feel her eyes getting watery.

"I'm not going to cry," she told her mother, although she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince. But it was true, sure enough a second later she could feel the tears dry up before the could spill down her cheeks. She stood up and smiled the queen. "Thank you, mother," she said and pulled her in for a hug, feeling a tad guilty that her mother thought she was getting emotional for a completely different reason. They released eachother, her mother teary-eyed with a proud smile on her face, and made their way to the dining hall below.

They were the first to arrive, besides the servants who were setting the tables, and waited as the rest of the guests filed in. At the head of the table sat her father, who had apparently already had too much to drink even though it was still early in the night. Her mother was seated nect to him, as were his three closest friends and allies whose sons also happened to be her suitors. She sighed and looked back to her end of the table. There, she was seated next to the three 'men' who she was supposed to choose from and marry. Soon they were served and Merida had to admit that the cooks had done a fine job tonight. Even if they hadn't, she still would have stuffed her face after practically going without food for three days.

"Teh-oozey-goo!" said one of the boys, food flying out of his mouth and all over the table. She was fairly sure that he had said 'This food is very good' but even if he hadn't had a mouth full of food she probably still wouldn't have understood him. No one ever understood him. The goofy one with the weird hair started snorting, which she thought might have been his form of laughter. She raised an eyebrow at him pointedly, much the way her mother liked to do to her, and the snorting died down. He looked down like a skulking child and fiddled with his food. Then the pretty boy who was unfortunately seated next to her leaned closer.

"So where were you the last few days? I missed you," he said, his voice oozing with sex and his eyes trying to do some type of smoldering thing. She almost choked on her food.

"Well, if you must know, I was having bowel issues," she replied, whole-heartedly. His face was priceless.

"Eeeuugh!" he shrieked, scooting as faw away from her as the table permitted. She grinned and looked down the table and made eye contact with her mother. Elinor cocked an eyebrow at her, just as she had done earlier to geek-boy and she followed his example by looking down and playing with her food. She looked around the hall at all the other tables full of the men that had accompanied her father's friends. They all looked very strong and brave, although not too smart in Merida's opinion. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the feast. That is, until something came crashing through a window and the wind from outside put out most of the torches. Some of the men rushed outside to inspect the damage and one came back in to tell everyone what they found. He informed them all that a bolt of lightning had struck a tree causing it to break and fall into the window. Luckily the rain from the storm had kept the fire from spreading and they just had to put wet blankets over it to snuff it out. During all of this her father spoke, trying to calm everyone down and keep things from breaking out into chaos.

"Let's move this feast to the throne room and keep the wine flowing! Unless yer all scared of a wee bit of lightning!" The men raised their cups in approval and followed the king's lead into the throne room. As he walked by his wife, he whispered in her ear, "Take Merida back to her room and have some of the servants board up that window, dear?" and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Of course," she replied with a smile. "Come Merida," she called to her daughter, who gladly obliged. She didn't know how much more of this lightning she could take, for it kept making her recall things she'd rather leave forgotten.

* * *

Sleep, oddly enough, came quite easily. She realized that if she just concentrated on the pitter-patter of the rain and left her mind blank that she would begin to drift off. Just add in a little regulated breathing, _'In through the nose, out through the mouth,'_ and she fell into a deep slumber. But while she was asleep she couldn't quite control what she thought of like she did while conscious. Yet again, she tossed and turned while a pair of lonely green eyes stared back at her. And although they made a sense of betrayal course through her, looking into them also made her feel whole and complete. She wanted to push those eyes away and succumb to the numbness but she knew if she did so that she would never find something that made her feel so right again. This unconscious battle of internal strife was abruptly broken by a guttural roar. Merida almost jumped out of her skin when another one quickly followed. _'It sounds so sad,'_ she thought. Soon she could hear the sound of men running through the hallways of her home. Quickly, she got out of bed, put on a light robe, and peeked out her door. Sure enough, the men from the earlier feast were gathering weapons and running down to the throne room. She tried to go as well but before she could even make it down the hall her mother stopped her.

"Merida, go back to you room, dear, your father and his friends have just had a bit too much to drink. You should get some sleep," she told her, lightly pushing her back towards her room.

"No, mom, what's going on?" she demanded.

"It's nothing! Just ment trying to look big and tough in front of eachother. Honestly, I hope they catch colds going out into the storm like that! It'll teach them some humility," she said.

"But I heard something outside!"

"Oh, they just think they heard a bear, it's fine, dear, just go back to bed," she urged and pushed Merida back into her room.

"No, wait!" she tried to yell but it was no use, her mother had locked her in her room. Her senses were screaming at her, all instincts telling her to make them stop. She went to her window and opened it, peering through the rain down at the mass of men with torches and all sorts of weapons heading towards where the noise came from.

"Please, stop!" she yelled to them, but to no avail.

"Please..."she whimpered, her emotions finally making an appearance. Tears streamed down her face as the void in her heart began to fill. She tried desperately to stop them one more time not wanting to lose what she barely realized she couldn't live without. She screamed out once more just as her father raised his sword and shouted to the men.

"Please, father, I love him!"

"Let's go kill the sonofabitch, Mor'du!"

* * *

**A/N: Wow. It's been so long. I deeply apologize for the wait, no excuses will be made. It's been a long three weeks haha. My neighbors were evicted and because they six dogs that the had are gone now, too, all the fleas and cockroaches that lived over there migrated to my house since their's was on the corner and mine is the only one right next to it. T-T For some reason they don't bite my boyfriend but I just happen to have over a hundred flea bites all over my body, the majority being on my feet and legs. So we've been bombing the house, but it doesn't really seem to be helping...oh well. Also, my swamp cooler broke yesterday. Fortunately it's cooled down a bit the last week, so we're not in the hundreds anymore. It's still pretty fucking hot, though. And I've been working over forty hours a week still! I really need a goddamn raise. Oh god, I'm ranting here. Well, please enjoy! This is my longest chapter yet! :D**


	6. Memories

Memories

The days seemed to pass in a blur. The darkness of the storm made it near impossible to tell if the sun or moon was out. It all looked like night, and it certainly fit mirrored what Merida was feeling. Since the night of her epiphany she had been in a stupor. Her head felt fuzzy and she could scarcely remember her father even returning home. One thing she did know, she would never see her beloved green eyes again.

* * *

_"Elinor!" yelled a triumphant voice from downstairs. "Elinor, come down 'ere!"_

_ "What is it dear?" she heard her mother call back._

_ "We got 'im! We got the bastard!" roared the King. Cheers from the men rang through the hall._

_No...it couldn't be true. He couldn't be dead. Her chest constricted and throbbed painfully at the news. She had to see, she had to see if it was true. Frantically she jumped out of bed and wrapped a night robe around herself. She left the room and briskly walked towards the source of her father's voice. As she grew nearer sher could hear her parents talking. They were alone in the hallway, the sound of raucous laughter came from a room down the hall where all the men must be. It certainly sounded like a celebration. She stood around the corner from where her parents stood and listened in._

_ "What do you mean you got him?" questioned Queen Elinor's voice. "I don't see a bear anywhere."_

_ "Well, yes, we don't actually 'ave 'im, but look," King Fergus showed her something, "'Ow could 'e survive with this much blood on me sword? I got 'im good, there's no way 'e'll make it far in the woods with a wound that deep."_

_Merida felt her throat tighten._

_ "Yes, you have a point, and I'm proud of you for finally enacting your revenge. However, I'm more thankful that none of you got hurt on your little rampage," said the Queen._

_She couldn't breath. He was out there dying, all alone. He could already be dead. This was too much, it was all too much._

_ "Yes, dear, I know you worry about me. I'm tough, though, you won't see me go down so easily!" her father laughed boisterously._

_She fell back against the wall, gasping for a breath, anything. She slid down, reaching for something to hold onto, for something to rescue her and keep her safe, but nothing was there._

_ "I'll always worry about you," sighed Elinor into her husband's arms._

_Nothing will ever be there._

_ "I know, dear. I love you," replied King Fergus._

_She sank to the floor._

_ "I love you, too."_

_A single tear swelled in her eye, threatening to spill over; a flash of green. And that was all she remembered before she blacked out._

* * *

She'd woken up in her room the next evening. She felt dizzy with fever and her skull felt like it was going to split. She unendingly fell in and out of sleep with no track of the passing time. All she knew was the rain never stopped and the pain in her head was slowly migrating to her heart. While she was awake she just stared out of the window and cried, but what was worse was that while she was asleep she remembered. Memories of the past, of how her heart had passed the point of no return long, long ago without her knowledge nor her permission.

* * *

_Her Seventh Birthday_

_The sun was glaringly bright and her light eyes scrunched in reaction. Her memories from these years were fairly uneventful and blended seamlessly together as all she did was eat, sleep, and play. Being a child was so easy. There were no responsibilities or expectations to live up to. No pain or heartache. All she really had to do was live and mind her parents, for the most part. Merida wasn't the best of children, and was quite mischievous indeed, but her parents loved her greatly. And although most of the days and even months of those times seemed to mash into one long jumbled memory, a certain day stood out to her the most._

_Her father and mother had taken her off castle grounds and had planned a sort of picnic in a meadow near the woods. She remembered being so excited because her father had gotten her a bow and a few small arrows, which her mother had disapproved of but let her keep. It was, afterall, Merida's seventh birthday. And it was while she was practicing with her new bow that she accidently shot one her arrows far into the forest and out of sight._

_ "I'll go get it, father," she said to her parents before running after it into the forest. She was a very independent child._

_ "Merida, wait!" her mother yelled, but she was already out of sight since she was small and quick and so her father was sent to chase after her._

_She scampered through the brush and towards where she thought her arrow had went. She had no luck finding it and kept searching for it through the forest until she looked behind her and realized she didn't know the way back. She began to cry a bit since she was lost and could only hope her father was still following her trail. When she waited there sitting for almost half an hour she began to cry even harder. She was starting to lose hope until she saw something blink in the corner of her eye._

_She rubbed her tears out of her eyes and turned to look for what she had caught a glimpse of. It looked like a floating blue flame hovering in the air. When she got nearer several more came out behind it. She tried to grab it but when she reached for the little ball of energy it disappeared and reappeared at the end of the line. She giggled and sniffed from her earlier crying and darted forward, trying to catch them. It was like a game almost and she kept chasing them through the forest until she came upon the last one. She cupped her hands in the air around it. She peered in between the cracks of her clamped hands but, just as she thought, it got away._

_ "Hmpf," she frowned and crossed her arms, annoyed that she couldn't catch the strange blue lights._

_ "You looking for this?" an unfamiliar voice asked her._

_Startled, she jumped around to face where the voice had come from. She hadn't realized when she chased the lights that she had come across a strange circle of tall stones. A young man was leant up against one of the towering slabs. He was tall and lean, with carameled skin and long straight black hair tied behind his head with a green ribbon that kept most of it back, although a few flyaways managed to get loose. He crookedly smiled at her and held up her missing arrow._

_ "My arrow!" she squealed and ran up to him, throwing her arms around one of his legs. "Thank you, sir!" she grinned up at him. His eyes were wide with shock at how close she was but before he could say anything she spoke again._

_ "Woah, your eyes are pretty!" she stated before letting go of his legs and putting her hands over her mouth, a light blush spreading across her freckled cheeks._

_He paused for a few seconds and then burst out laughing. It was soft and low, a nice sounding laugh. "You're one strange girl, kid," he chuckled, handing her the arrow and walking past her back into the forest. She turned towards him, looking a bit confused._

_ "Well, are you coming?" he called to her, looking over his shoulder still walking. It dawned on her that he was going to show her the way back._

_ "Wait!" she shouted, chasing after his retreating back._

_They walked together through the forest for about ten minutes before she got really bored with the silence._

_ "Sir..." she started, looking up at him but he didn't seem to hear her and kept walking._

_ "Sir," she said again a bit louder. Still no luck._

_ She cleared her throat, "Sir, excuse me!" She grabbed his hand when she spoke the third time. He flinched at her tough and pulled his hand out of hers, his emerald eyes flashed before softening with the realization that she was there. He seemed like a frightened wild animal, she thought._

_ "Yes?' he mustered out, returning back to normal._

_ "Umm..." she hesitated. "Well, sir,...what's your name?" she asked._

_His eyes widened at her question. Then his face relaxed and he resumed walking again._

_ "Well, isn't it a bit rude to ask for my name without introducing yourself first?" he teased, good-naturedly._

_ "Oh!" she gasped. "Well then, my name is Merida and today is my birthday! Nice to meet you!" she smiled, stopping and holding her hand out to shake his. He laughed again, shaking his head slightly before taking her hand and returning the gesture. She grinned, deciding that she rather liked it when he laughed._

_ "Well, Merida, how old are you today? And I don't really go by anything, I gave up my name a long time ago," he answered, ending in an almost whisper. He cast his eyes down and contined their walk._

_ "I'm seven!" she answered back, holding up seven fingers for him to see. "You don't have a name? Then can I call you Angus? I've always liked the name Angus! If I ever get a horse that's what I'm going to call him!" she nearly shouted out._

_ Again he laughed. "No, please don't call me Angus. I've had a name but I don't go by it anymore," he replied with a brooding look on his face._

_ "Oh..." she sighed. She decided not to push it anymore since it made him look troubled and she decided she much preferred a smile on his face. "Well, if you ever feel like telling me, I'm sure it's a great name." she smiled up at him again. He had another sad look but then he returned her smile._

_ "Alright, kid." They grinned at eachother. Then she heard voice yell out._

_ "Merida! Merida, where are you?"_

_She recognized it as her mother's and ran towards it. "I'm over here mother!" She turned back to her new friend. "I'll see you again soon, 'kay?"_

_ "Sure thing, kid," he smirked._

_She grinned and turned back to where her mother's boice was coming from._

_ "Happy birthday, Merida. You are a very brave and strange little girl indeed," she heard him say. She went to say thank you but then she saw her mom._

_ "Merida, there you are!" her mother yelled in a panic and wrapped her arms around her daughter._

_ "Yeah, I kinda got lost..." she sheepishly admitted. "But I got my arrow back!" She held it up when her mother let her go. Elinor had to resist rolling her eyes. Merida was so like her father._

_ "Oh, wait," Merida said when her mother began walking them back to the meadow, "I have to say bye to my new friend and thank him for helping me get back!"_

_ "Which friend?" the Queen's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion._

_ "Back there! The man who led me back!" Merida insisted, pointing behind her into the line of trees._

_ "Honey, there's no one there," the Queen softly pointed out._

_ "Huh? But he was just here," Merida sighed._

_ "Well maybe you'll be able to thank him next time. Let's go home now, I'm sure they're done preparing you birthday feast," her mother told her. She smiled excitedly at Elinor and they walked back to the castle hand in hand._

_ "Yes, mother," Merida happily grinned._

_Yes, this one day stuck out the most from her multitude of childhood memories. Indeed she would again see the man she had gradually began to fall in love with on this day, but it was also on this day that her father would drink a little too much at her birthday celebration and decide to go on a midnight hunting trip with his three closest friends. It was on this night that he would run into an enchanted bear and end up losing his leg in a violent fight that would cause revenge to quickly ensue into his greatest obsession._

* * *

Present Day

She didn't know what was worse, the pain of having lost him while she was awake or that every time she fell asleep she fell in love with him all over again. It wan't fair, none of it was. She snuggled closer to her warm pillow under her blankets and cried, remembering all that they had gone through together.

_"You are very brave...Merida..."_

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about the wait! I'm back! These past few months have been hard. I've been going through a lot of personal issues but I've done some growing and I'm feeling much better now. Thank you for being patient. In the future I may take awhile to update again, depending on life, you know, but I will never give up on this story. Hopefully I can find a better job, that way I'll be less stressed and will be able to update more! I love you all. Thank you for reading and especially to those of you who leave me nice thoughts and words of inspiration. You are all wonderful.**


	7. Chapter 7

Light shined through the window, illuminating Merida's sleeping form. The sound of rain was no longer pitter-pattering against the castle. All was still and quiet. When the sun became too bright for her eyes she pulled the blankets over her head. She slowly blinked awake. Everything was suddenly crystal clear, her mind no longer foggy with sickness and despair. She pulled the blankets down and sat up in bed, turning and looking wide-eyedly out of the winder. The sky was pure blue without a single cloud in sight. It was one of the most beautiful days she'd ever seen. The words from her dream resounded through her head.

_"You are very brave..."_

They were spoken by his voice. But strangely instead of crying from his memory she felt different, stronger somehow. She felt a sense of empowerment, because he was right. She _was_ brave. For a week she had laid in bed, scarcely ever getting up, mourning his death. She had been sick with grief, suffering day and night, even in her dreams she couldn't escape him. But what good had it done? Instead of making herself ill she could be out there living, surviving with her memories of him. And she would always remember him, she was sure of that. Instead of wallowing in self pity, she should be out there honoring his memory.

She looked out of the window once more, acknowledging her mother's warning: as soon as the storm was over the Highland Games would continue. She swiftly turned in bed away from the window and threw off her blankets. She sat on the edge and looked onto her nightstand where the long dried Forget-Me-Nots stood in their vase. A determined expression spread across her face. She wouldn't go down without a fight. She would honor his death by taking things into her own hands, by changing her fate. His words echoed through her mind. She was brave. And with this newfound strength she got out of bed to find some clothes that were suited for todays task.

Yes, she wouldn't go down without a fight.

* * *

Her long indigo cloak fluttered in the light breeze around her. She pulled the hood of it closer around her face, making sure no one would recognize her in the foreign piece of clothing as long as they didn't see her face. A crowd had formed in the usually empty field where the games were being held. The drums of the opening ceremony ceased to beat. It was now time for her father to signal the beginning of today's event. Normally there would have been multiple trials for the suitors to go through, but for once her mother had done things Merida's way. That was one thing she had always admired about her mother, that she was one to always keep her promises. There would be only one, simple task today, and the game to beat was Archery. She almost snickered at the thought. This was going to be too easy.

She weaved through the hundred or so men, careful not to bump into any of them lest they see her face, and made her way to the competitors. She stopped just before the front edge of the crowd and watched as the games began. Her father stood from his seat on the small raised platform and cleared his throat, signalling for all to be silent.

"In accordance with our laws, the first born of each of the Great Leaders must prove their worth. Today we 'ave the heirs of House Dingwall, House MacGuffin, and House Macintosh, who will be competing for the 'and of me only daughter, Merida. If any other firstborn heirs are willing to step up, they may do so, as long as proper lineage is provided," he looked at the silent crowd after reciting the boring speech. Then he spoke once more to rile everyone up, "Let the games begin!"

With that he sat back down in his chair. Merida smirked as the crowd cheered after his opening speech. The last part of the speech was only a formality, no other powerful families tended to interfere with the matters of this kingdom, especially this kind of event when the suitors were basically already chosen. Little did they know it was this rule that was all part of her plan. They had never specified that the heir had to be male. Her smirk grew even wider. No, she wouldn't be marrying any of these buffoons. She was going to compete for _her own_ hand. She watched as the first one went, the pretty boy. He daintily aimed his arrow at the target and shot it into the ground a few yards in front of him. Weak. She had to stifle a laugh when he started stomping around and throwing a tantrum then storming off to his father's side. Next up was the heavily accented one. Out of the three he was probably the only one she actually liked. He was probably a really sweet guy if you could understand what he was saying and he seemed really shy. Maybe they'd become friends one day if he ever learned to speak properly. She almost let out a sigh of disappointment when his arrow twanged into the wrong direction. She had to admit, though, it was a strong shot. Just bad aim. This was way too easy. He slouched and trudged back to his father's side as well. Finally it was the little weirdo's turn. He stood and aimed at the target, obviously not knowing what he was doing. But somehow, to Merida's immense displeasure, he actually managed to get an arrow on the target! It wasn't in the center but it was damn near close. What a lucky shot; she was going to have to concentrate on this one. She looked at the nutty kid and shuddered, imagining being married to him for the rest of her life. She breathed in deeply then slowly exhaled. It was now or never. She walked past the edge of the crowd to where the last suitor was jumping up and down with excitement from making the shot. Disgusting.

"Anyone else?" boomed her father's voice.

"Aye," she called out raising her hand into the air.

"And who might you be?" questioned the King, leaning forward with curiosity. It was rare that anyone volunteered from the crowd.

"I am the firstborn, heir to Kingdom Dun Broch," she announced, sliding off her hood, "and I've come to win my own hand!"

The crowd let out murmurs of surprise while some laughed at her little outburst. She stared back determinedly at where her parents sat. Boy, did her mother look angry. She could tell the Queen was about to say no but the King spoke first.

"Alright, dearie. Give it your best shot." And that was all she needed. Little did her parents know, she was one of the most skilled archers in all the Kingdom, second to only one. But he was dead now...her smile faltered at the thought. He had been the one to teach her how to hold her bow correctly, how to make her own arrows, how to shoot. Her father had given her the bow when she was seven and shown her the basics but he wasn't skilled with it at all. In her parent's eyes she was just a girl who liked the grace of the bow but ever since she first got it she'd been training and practicing nonstop. Maybe it was because the bow was associated with her first memory of him, or maybe because on all her birthdays after that fateful day he'd shown her the proper techniques. Each year he'd show her something new and each year she'd train harder and harder, hoping to impress him with her skills the next time they met. Because truly, she never seen anyone so good with a bow. But now her was gone...she shook the thoughts out of her head and concentrated on the task at hand. This was for him. She grabbed the long smooth bow and raised it up. It was an extension of her own arm, that's what he'd told her. She fit the arrow in place at her eye level, sliding her fingers around the thing piece of wood, pulling it back against the drawstring. She remembered watching him do the same and how his green eyes always flashed a little brighter when he released his arrow. She slowly breathed in as deep as she could, and let the arrow go along with her exhaled breath. She watched as it gyrated through the air towards her mark. With a _'thunk'_ it hit the target dead center.

She grinned and looked to her parents' shocked faces. She was about to tell them her little speech about how she was independent and her own woman when she heard the _'thunk'_ of another arrow hit the target. Somehow everyone got even more quiet, if that was even possible. She turned her head to look at the target and paled. Another arrow was on it now, splitting through her own and reaching even deeper to the center of the mark. She frantically looked around in seach for who might have bneen the one to make that shot and spotted a man on the outer edge of the crowd wearing a charcoal colored cloak with the hood pulled up. Within a minute everyone else caught sight of him, too. King Fergus was the first to speak.

"Show us yer face, laddie, and speak yer name," he ordered the man.

Everyone looked to him as he took a step forward, pulling his hood down at the same time. Merida almost fainted at the sight. His long ebony hair was swirling around his face and he looked thinner that before. There was a bandage wrapped around his head and covering his left eye. He gazed at the King while he spoke, his voice deep and full of authority, "_I am Roiben_, firstborn son and heir to the throne of the ancient Kingdom Dun Morith. Or, as you all know it now, Mor'du."

His uncovered eye flicked towards Merida's direction and they made eye contact. Her heart constricted and felt like it nearly burst when she looked into his blazing emerald green eye. It wasn't until the edges of her vision started to fade that she realized she had stopped breathing. Before she could get over the shock of seeing him once more and regain her breath, she slumped to the ground and blacked out.

* * *

**A/N****: Yay a new chapter. You guys totally knew he wasn't dead right? Haha I'm so lame...any thoughts? Do you like his name? I was trying to think of a good one...and then I thought of Tithe by Holly Black. I was like oooooooh shizz that's totally the name I'm going to use! Also, shout of to Psycho-ninja-waffle-bandit for being my 100th follower! Shameless promoting here, too, go check out In the Land of Men and Monsters by my best friend! It's a Monster High fanfic and I LOVE IT! Let's try to get to 100 reviews! XD I love you all!**


	8. Awakening

Chapter 8

_Awakening_

* * *

She groaned at the noise of the door shutting. She carefully stretched her limbs which were very sore. She winced at the pain on her head and reached to feel the massive bump that had formed. It was then that she remembered what had happened before she passed out. Or had it been a dream? It was certainly fantastic enough, but the bump sprouting on the back of her head told a different story. So if it was real then why was she in her room, laying on her bed? What happened after she passed out? Where was Mor-...Roiben? She definitely needed answers. She slowly sat up to keep the room from spinning and slid on her hunting boots that were lying on the floor next to her bed. There was a pan of water on her nightstand and she splashed some of it on her face to wake herself up. After she deemed herself ready, she opened her door and walked into the hallway full of determination.

She paused in the hallway, pondering where she should go first. Where would her parents be right now? If anything, they should know what was going on. They were the rulers of this kingdom, it would be sad if something so grand occurred on their grounds and they had no explanations or answers for it. So with this goal in mind she set out to find her mother and father. She walked down the stairs to the ground level of the castle and headed in the direction of the throne room. It had been a week since the window had been shattered by the tree during the storm so it would probably be fixed by now. As she grew nearer she could hear raised voices that sure didn't sound too happy.

"You held these games and called us here, and for what? Nothing?"

"We didn't come out here for months on end just to be sent back empty-handed!"

"You must choose! My son did the best, you can't deny him his prize. _She _is _his."_

So they were arguing about her...that much she could decipher. She could feel her face grow red with anger. She was his? Like hell. She had beat them at their own game and they knew it! Surely her father would take that into account. She gently pushed the door open and stepped inside when she heard another voice speak.

"Are you forgetting about me? About Merida? Or are you completely disregarding the law? We both were better than your pathetic excuse for a son. I won't let her marry the little bastard. If anything, she is _mine_," he told them. She blushed lightly at his claim but her anger surpassed any feelings she had for him. Who was he to claim her for himself? She was no prize to be won! She didn't belong to anyone, no one but herself! Her breathing quickened and the fury rolled off of her in waves. She could feel herself shaking, she was so mad.

"Oh, Merida, there you are. We were just discussing you," her mother said. How she was smiling, Merida didn't know. Didn't this bother her? That they were speaking about her like she wasn't a person? She noticed the others move in her direction and snapped to look at them, taking a step back. She was looking at him for what his reaction was but he just stood there, not looking at her but instead focusing his gaze on the King. His hands were grasped behind his back as he addressed the King in a formal tone. "It is your job to uphold the law. You held these games and know the rules that are to be abode by. After all, they were in your speech. _'If any other firstborn heirs are willing to step up, they may do so'_ were your words if I remember correctly."

"Only if proper lineage is provided!" hissed Lord Dingwall.

"I have proven my lineage to the King," he replied coolly, looking down on him as he was a good head or two shorter. He looked back towards the King. "You cannot deny that legally I won the tournament. It is up to you now if you are to force her to marry."

Merida looked between Roiben and her father. This wasn't happening, right? She was still in bed and this was all a bad dream? Right?

Her father hesitated, trying to find the right words to reply. He pulled at his beard while he thought, twirling the long facial hair through his fingers. He finally, slowly spoke, "I am the King and what I say is law,...but your argument is true. Besides, this is one of our oldest traditions. It is not in my power to break it. And the people expect her to marry...I could have a rebellion on my hands if a successor isn't chosen." He looked apologetically to Merida, whose jaw subsequently dropped open. He was really going to make her do this, wasn't he? Angry tears filled up her eyes. Before anyone could stop her she ran out of the room, quickly sprinting to the stables. She needed to ride. She approached Angus and led him out of his stall. She jumped on him bare-back; putting a saddle on him would take too much time, precious minutes that could give them time to reach her and keep her from leaving. She dug her heels into his side and they set off. She sped through the gates, the guards shouting after her to stop but not getting on their horses to chase after her. After her last escape they knew she was too fast to catch up to.

She swiped away the tears that were streaming down her face. How could they do this to her? She thought her father might have stood up for her, for his little girl. And Roiben, she thought for sure he would have protected her from them, but he was just as bad, if not worse. He thought he could claim her, too! Who did he think he was? Although, she wouldn't really mind marrying him...she shook her head, disrupting the thought. She was supposed to mad at him, she told herself, not swooning over him. She wiped at the last of her tears and looked at her surroundings. She hadn't really been meaning to go in any specific direction but she must have been subconsciously steering somewhere since she was now in the familiar meadow with towering stone pillars. Angus slowed to a stop and she sighed, lightly jumping onto the ground. She walked towards one of the monoliths and sat down on the grass leaning against it. Her eyes felt swollen so she shut them, letting the warm sun dry her wet face. She sat there in the quiet peace of the meadow and just listened to the cool breeze brushing through the grass. The noise calmed her down and she tried not to think about what happened in the throne room. She could feel herself beginning to doze off and popped open one eye to check on Angus who was a few yards away grazing on some grass. She knew he wouldn't go anywhere so she closed her eye again and relaxed against the pillar. Crying made her so tired...

* * *

She groaned and stretched as she began to wake up. She really needed to stop falling asleep on the ground, she didn't know how much more her back could take. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and cracked them open. Had she built that fire? She looked down, noticing the charcoal colored cloak wrapped around her. That certainly wasn't hers, but it did look familiar...her head snapped to the right when she heard someone let out a low chuckle. Her eyes squinted suspiciously when she saw that it was _him._

"Wipe that scowl off your face, I'm not here to drag you back. I just wanted to make sure you were okay..." he finished softly. He looked away and added more wood to the fire. She rose and dusted off her dress, handing the cloak back to him. "Keep it," he told her, "It's cold out." She nodded silently, and wrapped it tightly around her, burying her face into it and inhaling his earthy scent. She hummed quietly into the cloak and he looked at her questioningly. "You smell like the forest," she blurted out, then covered her mouth with her hands. His eyes widened a fraction, "Sorry..."

"It's okay, I like the forest," she explained. She pulled the hood down over her eyes to hide her embarrassment. Why did she tell him that? She peeked at him under it but he was working on the fire with a small smirk on his face. When he was satisfied with how the logs were burning he sat down and patted the spot next to him, beckoning for her to join him and she begrudgingly obliged, sitting a few feet away but still close enough to feel the fires warmth. A few minutes passed before she finally spoke up. She wasn't usually one to sit there quietly.

"How long was I asleep?" she asked him.

"A few hours. It was already after noon when you came down," he answered. She winced at the mention of earlier that day. That would explain why it was already night, though.

"How long had I been out before?"

"About a day or so. Your mother told me you had been sick for over a week. You probably weren't completely recovered which most likely caused the black out."

She rested her chin on her knees and blushed. She wasn't about to correct him and explain that the reason she had passed out was because of him and her erratic heart. They sat there in the quiet, save for the crackling of the fire, for a few minutes. She chanced a glance at him and, seeing that he wasn't paying attention to her at the moment, let her eyes linger. His inky hair was pulled back again and his slender face was framed with the dark fly-aways. His brows were furrowed and he looked troubled, frown lines marking his otherwise smooth shaven face. The light of the fire reflected in his bright green eyes, making them glow in the darkness. They flickered towards her and met her own light blue ones. His eyes softened and looked at her pleadingly, his mouth trying to form words.

"I...you know, I...I wasn't trying to make you do something you didn't want to. I wouldn't force you to marry if you didn't want to. I just...didn't know what else to do. Your parents are set on having you marry, and soon. The only way I knew how to beat them was to play along, to postpone their decision a little longer. They're not sure what to do yet what with my interfering. I couldn't let you marry one of those little bastards..." he spit out viciously. She looked back at the fire and thought about what he told her. He spoke again, so quietly this time she almost didn't hear him. "...I wouldn't betray you, Merida, not again..." his voice broke on her name. "I don't know what I was thinking, though. It's not my place to make decisions for you. After all, why would you want to marry someone like me?" he laughed bitterly and turned his face slightly away, looking at nothing in particular. She glanced back at him, noticing the visible pain in his eyes at what he voiced. She opened her mouth, trying to get the words out, to tell him that it was okay, that he wasn't worthless as he obviously thought he was, that she loved him, but none of it sounded right when she started to say it. So she settled on something else instead.

"It...I don't think it would be awful...to marry you, that is." It was her turn to look away this time. She jumped slightly when she heard him sit down next to her, but kept her face turned away.

"Merida..." he called softly. When she still didn't turn his way he called her name again, more firmly. "Merida, please look at me." She still didn't oblige, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes. "Merida, if this is what you want I will do everything in my power to make sure it happens. Do you want to marry one of the little lords?" She quickly shook her head in denial. "But...if it were me?" She paused, then made a little shrug with her shoulders, thoroughly embarrassed. He let out a little laugh, no longer as stressed as before since he now had her approval. "I will fight for you," he told her, his voice full of resolve. She averted her eyes to look at him now, meeting his serious and determined green ones.

Without warning he reached out and gripped her chin lightly with his long slender fingers, pulling her face towards his. He paused when their noses were just barely touching, looking over her face, taking in the bright red blush that had spread over her freckled cheeks and how her aquamarine eyes gleamed brighter in the moonlight. His eyes flickered to her lips and he whispered, "you're beautiful," before pressing his own against them. He slid his arm around her small waist and brought her closer, smirking against her lips when a small moan escaped her mouth. His other hand found itself buried in her mane of curls and her own arms wrapped themselves around his broad shoulders. Her hands untied the ribbon that held his hair back and they slid through the strands as smooth as silk. He groaned and released her, fighting the urge to deepen the kiss. He didn't want to compromise her virtue, even if she was to be his wife someday. He respected her too much.

"We'll go back in the morning, yeah?" he gasped out between breaths.

She looked into his darkened, almost black, eyes and nodded. She smiled and leaned over to plant another of the many small kisses they would share that night.

* * *

**A/N****: What's up! This chapter has major fluff at the end haha...I hope you enjoyed the kiss! I'm a bit self conscious about it, writing kiss scenes are harder than I thought. O_O Anyways, shout out to favorite #100! Thanks, fight-before-fight! Also, check out my new story if you get the time! It's a really random, but long, Dramione fanfic. XD And with this chapter I'll probably make it to 100 reviews! Thank you all so much and I look forward to hearing from you!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

Merida was the first to stir the next morning. Her hair was damp with morning dew and it made a slight shiver go through her body at the coolness of it. She sat up and searched the field for Angus. She spotted him a few yards away knelt in the grass and dozing. She smiled in his direction and layed back down on the bed of grass, pulling the dark cloak closer around her and snuggling into the arms of her beloved. She turned on her side and tilted her head up to get a better look at his face. The expression on his face while he slept was so serene and peaceful, such a drastic change from the worried and pained one that was more often then not worn on it. She was so close to him that she could count the long dark lashes on each lid and the handful of sun freckles that dotted his perfectly straight nose and high cheek bones. She frowned at the thin white line that cut through his left eye brow and reached his lower cheek, marring his otherwise unmarked face. She hadn't noticed it the day before, but he had been on the other side of the room when she first saw him. And last night, it had already been dark and the light of the fire washed out any discolorations on his face. She freed an arm from his tight hold around her and reached up, tracing the fresh scar. She was confused, hadn't this wound been inflicted no more than a week before? His face tightened at her touch and his eyes blinked open. She pulled her hand away, ashamed at touching his face so unabashedly while he slept.

"Sorry," she whispered. He grabbed her hand and put it back on his face, this time cupping his cheek.

"Don't be," he whispered back, "you're hand is soft." His eyes closed and he smiled as she gently rubbed her thumb over his cheek and the bottom of the scar.

"...did it hurt...?" she hesitantly asked, knowing full well it was her fault he had even came near the castle, near her vengeance-seeking father.

He opened his eyes again and half shrugged at the question. "A bit, but it's not as painful as when I transform. Imagine all your bones breaking then growing and forming back together. It's not a pretty sight...I've lost track of all the times I've turned now." He looked at her, the hollowness in his eyes returning for a second before they warmed up again. "That's a side effect of the curse, I suppose. No aging. I've been eighteen for quite awhile, longer than I can remember."

She traced the pale white line that ran up his face again. "And the scar?" she asked. "Didn't this happen recently?"

"Another side effect," he explained. "I heal faster and more efficiently than an average person. Without this...power, I'd have lost my eye for sure. Most likely my life, too, if I hadn't got away. I really thought I was going to die...there was so much blood." He clutched at his shirt where his heart was, scratching at the area.

"You had more than one wound?"

He met her eyes hesitantly before answering, "Yeah, on my chest. He got my eye first, then sliced at my chest. It's not that bad anymore, it's almost healed now."

"Show me," she told him.

He looked at her, eyes widened with shock, and lightly shook his head no.

"Show me," she insisted. He looked at her again and, seeing she wouldn't take no for an answer, sighed and sat up. He slowly undid the buttons on his shirt before pulling it halfway down his shoulders, exposing his toned torso. She gasped at the wound when she saw it. Sure it was almost healed but he had made a slight understatement when describing it. It reached from his left collar bone and dragged down diagonally, ending parallel to the right of his navel. It was red and raw, crusted with the last of the scabs that had to heal before exposing the pink tender flesh underneath. Her hand unconsciously reached to trace it but his own caught it before it could do so.

"Sorry, it's still kind of sore...I just took the bandages off yesterday," he shrugged sheepishly, releasing her hand. She instead settled for cupping his face and kneeling next to him, gently pressing her lips to the scar on his eye.

"To make it feel better," she explained, blushing at her actions. "My mom used to do it when I was little..."

He looked confused at first, then his eyes flashed with recognition. Then he swiftly leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers in a quick kiss.

Now it was her turn to look confused. "But...I'm not hurt?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to kiss you again," he shrugged and smirked. He leaned towards her again and began planting kisses up and down her cheek and neck, causing her to giggle at the ticklish sensation. Somehow they found themselves lying in the grass again with her underneath him. She gasped at the proximity, realizing his shirt was still open. She looked up into his eyes and noticed him making the same connection. "Perhaps it's time we headed back to the castle," he suggested. She merely nodded her head in agreement. He rolled off of her and stood up, buttoning his shirt. He offered his hand to her when he was done, but she ignored it and stood up on her own.

"I'm perfectly capable on getting up on my own, I'm not some helpless little girl," she told him coolly.

"I'm not saying you are," he raised his hands defensively, "I just thought I'd be a gentleman."

"Oh...well, thank you," she replied, her face flushing for what wouldn't be the last time that day.

She walked over to Angus who was now awake and grazing on the grass again. He stood up straight for her and she held onto his neck, swinging her body onto his back. They started trotting to where Roiben was standing and looking at the ground thoughtfully.

"Getting on?" she asked, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Oh, yes, it's just...maybe we shouldn't tell your father that I found you yesterday afternoon."

"Why not?" she asked, thoroughly confused.

He grimaced while answering. "It might not be a good idea for him to know we spent the night out here alone together...I'm barely healing from the last time we fought, and you're father is rather...intimidating," he admitted.

She laughed at his admission. "Alright, we'll just tell him that I came across you on my way back to the castle if that'll make you feel better." He nodded in thanks, visibly relieved, then promptly jumped onto Angus' back and wrapped his arms around her waist. She patted Angus' side when they were situated comfortably and he leapt into a gallop, headed to the castle that she and her horse called home.

* * *

When they were safely inside the castle walls Roiben jumped down from his seat atop the horse. "Well, here I go. And you're sure about this, right?"

She gave a smile nod and giggled. "Meet me in my room after?"

"Are you sure that's okay?" he asked, slightly hesitant to get on her fathers bad side...again.

She nodded once more, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Just don't get caught. It's up the stairs, second door on the left."

"Alright then," he smiled and grasped her small hand, giving it a kiss and bowing. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck!" she called to him as he briskly walked away in the direction of the throne room. She smiled to herself as she steered Angus towards the stables, looking forward to meeting him later. Her fingers brushed against her lips while she reminisced about the night before and she tried to suppress a girlish giggle. She was already addicted to the touch of those lips on hers, and she could feel herself craving more.

* * *

Hours passed and she sat on her bed patiently waiting his arrival. What was taking so long? She had heard a bout of shouting earlier and the slam of a door but she couldn't make out what the person had yelled or who it had been. She was getting antsy but she didn't want to interrupt the meeting and chance messing things up with that hot head of hers that made her speak her mind without thinking of the consequences first. It was times like these that made her curse inheriting her fathers temper and not the cool collected mentality of her mother. She felt helpless, something she despised. She was slowly losing it, and so she stood up and stomped to her door, ready to go down there and see what was going on. She gripped the handle as hard as she could, venting some of her frustration on the door and swung it open, but there was already somebody standing on the other side.

"All right there?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. She looked at him, noticing the cocked eyebrow and smirk that he wore, and rolled her eyes. She stepped aside and ushered him in before anyone could see him standing before her room. She quietly shut the door and turned to watch him observe her room. His eyes lingered on the torn tapestry on her wall that portrayed the DunBroch family, her mothers figure torn off and messily sewn back on.

"We...ah...got in a fight," Merida explained with a shrug of her shoulders. "It was a long time ago." She blushed, embarrassed of her immaturity. He let out a hearty laugh, "I guess you could say I've done the same thing, except I can't fix mine since it was made out of stone and not cloth." She nodded and smiled, remembering the stone slab she'd seen in the ruins. He sat down and patted the spot next to him and she happily obliged.

"So...how'd it go?" she asked, eager to hear good news. He looked at her, then looked at the floor, a frown forming on his face. She felt her heart plummet.

"All I can say," he began, "is that I gave it my best." His eyes met hers again.

"What does that mean?" she asked, her brows scrunched together at his vague answer.

"Well, they've made a decision pertaining to your marriage," he told her, "but I'm not at liberty to say to who."

"Well at least give me a hint!" she said, fully exasperated.

"I can't, it's not my place. Your father is holding a dinner tonight for everyone in the castle where he'll make the engagement announcement."

"That's not fair! I hate those stupid dinners..." she grumbled.

He gave her a crooked half-smile that didn't reach his eyes, "That's one of the reasons I'm not allowed to tell you. They want to make sure you attend."

"Argh! I hate them!" she yelled and laid on her bed, shoving her face into her pillow and screaming. When she was done she turned her face to the side and lightly spoke to him. "I'll still be able to see you, right?"

He looked at her with sad sparkling green eyes. "I don't know..." he said, barely louder than a whisper. She felt her eyes well up.

"They can't stop me from seeing you. I don't care who they make me marry," she told him, and he sighed in response. His eyes flickered around the room, looking anywhere but her. They flitted over a familiar shade of blue before glancing back. His eyes lingered on the vase that stood on her bedside table, on the dry blue flowers that were inside it.

"You still have these?" he asked in a hushed voice. She raised her head to look at what he was referring to.

"Yeah...I couldn't just throw them away..." she mumbled into her pillow.

"You're too good to me..." he told her and pulled her up from the bed and into a hug. She clutched him back desperately and sobbed into his neck.

"I'll never forget you," she told him through shaky breaths. "No matter what happens."

"And I you," he said back. "You're more than I ever deserved in this dreadfully long life." He pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers. "I'll see you at the dinner?" She nodded begrudgingly, the only reason for her attendance being him. He smiled and gave her a swift kiss before getting up. "See you there, princess," he smirked, knowing she hated being called that.

"Bye," she rolled her eyes at him as he exited her room, then she shoved her face back into her pillow and sighed. She could rest a few minutes, she told herself, before she had to get up and dress for the damned party.

* * *

She groaned when she entered the dining hall. She hadn't realized how many people actually lived within the castle walls. It looked like literally everyone was here. And then there were also the men from the three neighboring villages here, too. She walked in the direction of the head table where she was expected to sit and saw two empty chairs next to each other. One would sit her next to the cocky brat and the other seat was next to the little nutball who was sticking peas up his nose. Yeah...she'd pass on that. Plus, she could mess with the pretty boy more like she did before. She sat down next to him and could see him lean away from the corner of her eye. She smiled and pretended to yawn so she could cover her mouth and make a farting noise. The look on his face was priceless. She continued with the noises while they ate until his chair was scooted as far away as he could get and his face was a sickening green. She hummed to herself happily as she scooped a spoonful of mashed potatoes into her mouth and looked around the room. Where was Roiben? He told her he was going to be here. Dinner was almost over and she still hadn't seen him yet. Was he going to get here in time for the announcement? The conversations around her quieted down and she looked to the head of the table to see her father standing, ready to make the announcement.

"I'm sure yer all wonderin' why yer 'ere, and the news I'm about to tell you is the cause fer this celebration," he looked around the room and beamed. Merida felt the empty chair next to her move and someone sit down in it, but she was too interested in her fathers speech to turn and look at who it was. "I'm pleased to inform the lot of ye that me oldest, me dear daughter Merida, is to be married. I'm going to be sad to let me little girl go, but she's grown up so fast." He looked at her with a watery smile. Yes, yes, keep going, she wanted to tell him. "I'd like to welcome me new son who will join our family soon. We 'aven't known each other long but I find 'im to be a great ally and someone who will continue the prosperity of this kingdom. I introduce me beautiful daughter Merida and 'er soon to be 'usband, Roiben DunMorith." She felt a large warm hand wrap itself around hers and bring her to her feet. The dozens of people in attendance erupted in cheer at the sight of the new couple that was to be their future King and Queen. She looked to her right and finally noticed who had sat next to her. He looked simply stunning in a forest green dress shirt that matched his eyes and his hair was down but kept out of his face with two locks that were pulled back from his temples into a small braid. He looked at her and smirked at her jaw that had dropped open. She promptly closed it and lightly punched his arm with her free hand.

"You knew this whole time?" she whispered to him furiously.

He grinned at her. "I'll tell you later," he promised, "First, let's give them something to really cheer about." And he leaned down to press his lips against her, causing the crowd to cheer even louder.

* * *

Finally, it was the end of the dinner and everyone had left. It had been exhausting for Merida, having to thank all these people as they came up to her and Roiben throughout the night to congratulate them. Thankfully he was a very charismatic person and did most of the talking. Merida didn't know what she would have done without him. She turned to him, finally able to ask him all the question she wanted answered. "So?" she began.

He sighed, "Yes, I knew. But really, teasing you is so much fun and so easy." He smirked. "I really wasn't allowed to tell you, though. Your father instructed me not to."

"Merida, I think it's time for you to go to bed," her mother called to her from the head of the table where she and the King sat, still drinking and talking to the other lords.

"Great," she groaned, "Supposedly I'm old enough to get married and yet I still have a bed time...yes, mother!" she yelled back.

Roiben laughed at her little remark, "Come on, princess, I'll walk you back to your room."

"You know," she began, as they left the dining hall and walked into the hallway, "you never told me how you proved your lineage to my father and got on his good side."

He chuckled before giving his answer, "I didn't. There's no way I could have, my family's been dead for too long and all of our books and records are either lost or destroyed. So I just told him I'd turn back into a bear and chew off his other leg if he stopped me from seeing you."

She burst out in laughter at his response, clutching at her stomach. "You're...joking...right?" she got out between breaths, wiping at the tears in her eyes.

"Nah, wish I was. Apparently he liked my sense of humor, though, because he gave the same reaction as you. And look where we are now? Good thing he doesn't hold a grudge anymore," he grinned. She shook her head and kept on laughing all the way back to her room.

* * *

**A/N****:**** No, you're not dreaming, I really did update twice in a week...hahaha! And with my longest chapter for this story so far! Don't expect it to be this often, though, I'm just really...inspired this week. Also, I'm starting school next Monday, although I'm going to be working less. *fingers crossed* So we'll see how this goes. This isn't the end of the conflict, there's more to come that's for sure. I'm so happy with all of your reviews! I'd like to give a shout out to Johonna Marie for being my 100th reviewer! Thank you all for sticking with this story! I hope this chapter comes as a pleasant surprise. :) As always, let me know what you think!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

* * *

It had been several weeks since the announcement of the betrothal between Merida and Roiben and they couldn't be any happier. If things had gone Merida's way they'd be married already but her mother just had to plan the 'perfect wedding' so it wasn't until after her seventeenth birthday. Her mother had chosen the day of the summer solstice, a day that, if Merida was being honest, was actually perfect. Not that she'd ever tell her mother that.

Unfortunately Roiben and Merida didn't see each other as often as they'd like. Even in the close quarters of the castle they only met once or twice a week. He was always busy with her father, who was teaching him how to run the kingdom or something. She scoffed when Roiben told her that was what they were doing with their time. It didn't seem that hard to run the kingdom to her, all she ever saw her father do was hunt, feast, and drink. She pointed out that Roiben had probably already learned all this, what with being an heir to clan DunMorith and whatnot, but he just shrugged and told her it'd been a long time since he'd had those lessons and that he really did need a refresher.

So she was stuck with her wedding obsessed mother and maid, who currently had her standing on a stool while they finished tailoring her bridal gown. Elinor was behind her, pulling at the strings on the corseted back of the dress. With ever pull, Merida felt her rib cage compress a few centimeters.

She was gasping for breath as she tried to speak, "Can't...breath...too..tight..."

"Oh hush, you look absolutely stunning," the Queen tutted, all the while tugging the strings ever tighter. She finished tying the strings into a bow and turned her daughter around. "Hmm, maybe you're right. I don't want you bright as a tomato during the ceremony," she teased before spinning Merida back around and loosening the back of her dress. She let out a sigh of relief, grateful to be able to use her lungs to their fullest extent again. The next sentence that came out of her mothers mouth, however, had her gasping for breath even more than before.

"I can't wait to see all my little grandchildren running around! They are going to be precious little things! Oh, I do hope they don't have your unruly hair, it was such a pain to manage while you were growing up," Elinor huffed.

Merida sputtered, "Wh-what?"

"Oh look, she's blushing!" cooed the maid kneeling and stitching the bottom of her dress.

She could feel her face getting hotter by the second.

"Oh honey, I'm not asking for grandchildren as soon as you get married, but maybe in a year or so..."

"Mom!" Merida shouted to stop Elinor from embarrassing her further.

Her mother chuckled, "Merida, I'm only teasing. But honestly, Roiben is such a good catch, you should be happy! He's intelligent and fit, not to mention incredibly handsome." She winked.

"Oh god, I can't believe we're having this conversation," Merida groaned, covering her flushed face with a hand and shaking her head in embarrassment.

* * *

"You have no idea how awful it was! She has no shame whatsoever!" Merida shouted in exasperation. She was pacing back and forth. Even the memory of the conversation caused her to be flustered.

Her response was a chuckle from Roiben who was sitting in the field beside her. "I can only imagine," he replied, stifling back another laugh.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she narrowed her eyes and shot him with an accusatory glare. He gave another laugh and she broke out into a smile. It was good to see him so happy, unlike the times all the years before when he was quiet and reserved. The last few weeks had been good to him.

"Maybe. Just a little bit," he told her. He grinned and she knew she couldn't be annoyed with him, not while he was in such a good mood.

He leaned back and rested on his elbows and looked up at the sky. She stopped pacing and laid down beside him. It was a beautiful clear day that held promise of the warm summer that was soon to come. With that came their wedding. She couldn't help but smile at the thought.

She heard him mumble something next to her.

"What was that?" she asked, keeping her eyes closed.

"Look at that!" he nearly shouted.

Her eyes shot open and she looked around, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was then that everything around her began to darken. She turned to him and saw that he wasn't staring at anything around them, rather, he was looking _up. _She inclined her head, using her hand as a visor to shield her eyes. What she saw was spectacular. The moon was slowly passing over the sun, blocking it out. All around them the light was growing dimmer. She didn't know whether to be ecstatic or frightened. She had never seen anything like it before.

She heard him mutter something again. "What?" she asked for the second time that day.

"An eclipse," he told her. "It's an eclipse."

"You've seen one before?"

"Yeah, a few times," he answered.

"So...the world isn't ending and we aren't about to die?"

He turned and smiled at her but not in a mocking way. "No, just wait. It'll pass. It's really amazing that we're seeing this. Just watch," and he went back to observing the wondrous sight.

She slowly exhaled a sigh of relief and followed his example. A few more minutes passed and soon the moon had completely blocked out the sun, cutting off all light except for around the edges of the sphere. It was such a clear day that she could see stars twinkling even though it wasn't night yet.

"Wow," she whispered, her eyes searching through the darkened sky.

"I know," he whispered back.

They continued gazing, enjoying the serene moment. Her eyes passed over the stars, one by one, when they caught something and flickered back. It was standing out more than the others. It was so much brighter and closer and left a trail smeared behind it.

"Woah, look!" she pointed out, his eyes following the path of her finger. She turned to him, to see his reaction. She knew when his eyes landed on the vibrant light but he didn't react the way she thought. At once he was transfixed. His pupils dilated to an alarming size and he wasn't moving. She wasn't even sure he was breathing.

She got onto her knees and reached tentatively towards him when she heard a resounding crack go through the woods. Her eyes widened in shock as Roiben's jaw fell open and a strangled scream was emitted. She heard another crack. It must have broken him out of his trance-like state because his eyes squeezed shut and he doubled over in pain.

He yelled out again as two more cracks came in quick succession and she realized where they were coming from. His back was stretched and rounded and his knees were bent at an unnatural degree. She looked at his face again and he was gazing back at her, his eyes dark and almost glazed over and his canines elongating. She wimpered, in fear of what was happening to him. His eyes sharpened and bore into hers.

"Go!" he shouted. She could tell he was fighting the transformation with all he had. It wouldn't be long, though. "GO!" he barked at her, and the animalistic edge to his voice broke her out of her shock. She stood and ran to Angus who was a few yards away. She jumped onto his back and he darted off, racing through the woods towards the castle. She could hear Roiben's screams echoing through the forest.

It wasn't until she was back to the castle, up in her room and curled on her bed that the adrenaline wore off and sobs racked themselves throughout her body. She laid there all night, crying into her pillow because of what had become of her beloved once more.

* * *

She must have dozed off sometime late in the night because early the next morning she woke to a knocking at her door. She looked out the window. The sky was a light blue and pink, the sun most likely having just risen. It was barely the crack of dawn. She stood and stretched, loosening her stiff muscles and joints. She could feel her eyes swollen and knew they must be bloodshot from the crying and lack of sleep. Honestly, though, she couldn't give a damn about her appearance.

She walked over to the door, ready to open it and send whoever it was away so she could get back to sleep. She pulled the door open and was ready to do just that when she realized who it was standing before her.

Roiben stood, leaning on the doorway, looking like he'd seen much better days. His clothes were shredded and he was covered in dirt and dried blood. The little bit of skin that was visible was littered with dark purple and blue bruises.

"Merida," he barely got out, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed.

"Oh my god," she blurted as she just managed to catch him before he hit the floor.

* * *

**A/N:**** Dear holy jesus, it's been awhile. I apologize for the wait. Good news is: I got a new job! I'm now working at Skechers (wooh employee discount!) and I only have about 4 weeks left of school. I'm also working part time now which is AMAZING! So hopefully more free time opens up. Sorry, for leaving this chapter on a bad note, eh heh heh...I just mostly wanted to get it out for you all. And, also, yay for follower #200: severra89! Thank you all for your reviews, follows, and favorites. It brightens my day every time I get an email on my phone from you. :) Now, go forth and review! I look forward to hearing from you.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

* * *

Her knees buckled under the unaccustomed weight and she knelt down on the floor. She adjusted her grip around Roiben's torso and slowly stood, careful not to drop him. She backed up, dragging him to her bed before laying him across it. She bent over and picked up his feet and gently placed his bottom half onto the bed as well.

She sat down beside him and grabbed the wash cloth out of the basin kept on the nightstand. She wrung it out and placed the damp cloth against his forehead. She wiped away the dirt and dried blood as carefully as she could but he still winced against the slight pressure against his bruised face.

Once his face was wiped as clean as possible she made to remove his shirt. Honestly, there wasn't much left to remove but she still undid what buttons were left. When she pushed back the torn fabric a sob escaped her mouth but she quickly clasped her lips shut. She didn't want to wake him, not when it was obvious he needed to rest. Tears dripped down her cheeks while she pressed the wet rag against his battered chest. Sobs threatened to escape every time he winced unconsciously against her touch. Even after all the filth was washed away he still looked dirty with all the bruises and cuts littering his skin. The only light among all the dark was the thin white line that traced from his collar bone down to his waist and even that was a reminder of all the pain he'd been through in his lifetime.

She'd thought this was over with, that the curse had been broken. What had happened? The last day had been an utter nightmare, one she'd hoped to wake from this morning. She shook away her thoughts of dismay. She had to be strong. For him. He needed her now more than ever.

She looked down at his shirt which was still covering his arms. She wasn't going to risk turning him over in order to get it off. There was no other way around it, she was going to have to cut it off. Not that there was much left to salvage anyways. She stood and went to the foot of her bed, opening the trunk that sat there. She pulled out the slim knife that she kept in there. Her father had a knack for giving her presents that her mother disapproved of, which usually consisted of a variety of weapons.

She sat down beside him again and bunched up the fabric of his sleeve. She slid the knife inside of the shirt and slid the blade back and forth, slicing the fabric up his arm. She cut it all the way to the collar and pulled the fabric apart. His arm wasn't as bad as his chest but his joints were bruised and his hands were caked with more dirt and blood. She leaned over him to repeat the process on his other arm but his hand was tucked under his body. She looked at his face and, content that he wasn't about to wake up, she grasped his forearm and tugged. His hand was almost free when she felt his body shift underneath her and then she was thrown from the bed. She landed across the room on her bottom and she looked up in shock. He was sitting up and pressed against the wall, his hands held up defensively in front of himself. His eyes were wide and dark and frightened, just like an animal. He was glaring at the knife in her hand and she realized her thought she going to hurt him. She deliberately placed it on the ground beside her and raised her hands, showing that she was unarmed and not going to attack him. Then she stood up as calmly as she could, so as to not startle him again. She winced as she stood, her backside was definitely going to be bruised by that fall.

She slowly walked towards him, hands still held up. He pressed harder against the wall and his eyes flickered between her hands. They stopped and rested on her left hand. His eyes lost the hard and wild edge, softening and brightening at the same time. He slumped and looked into her eyes and she could see the change from the person before. His pupils were smaller and his green eyes gleamed with a human intelligence instead of animal instinct. She smiled at him, trying not to show any of the distress from earlier. She moved closer and sat on the bed beside him.

"You okay?" she whispered. Why did she ask that? It was obvious he wasn't okay.

He merely shrugged and quirked a small smile at her. It dropped a second later, though, and he grabbed her left hand. "You're hurt," he said in a small, barely audible voice. He turned her hand over and she winced at the pressure. There was a slice across her palm and it was oozing blood.

"It's not that bad, I didn't even notice til now." It was her turn to shrug sheepishly at him. She must have cut herself with the knife when she fell.

She got up and picked the knife off the floor and wiped it clean before replacing it in the trunk on the floor. She cleaned her hand with the wash cloth and turned to him, motioning for him to take the rest of his shirt off. He obliged and she sat beside him once more. He turned around and she settled on her knees, gently pressing the rag against his back.

They were like that for awhile, no noise except for the trickle of water when she had to wring out the cloth. It was tense with worry, from what had happened the day before and what had happened just now. She had so many questions that she needed answers to, but she didn't know where to start. He must have been having thoughts along the same line because it was he who broke the silence first. But it was an apology, not a question.

"I'm sorry," he said in a small voice. He sounded ashamed.

"I'm fine," she insisted. When he didn't say anything she leaned forward and grabbed his chin, turning his face towards hers. His eyes looked so tired and full of pain, it nearly broke her heart. "It's just a cut," she told him. "It hardly even hurts at all."

"I still hurt you. I lost it and I hurt you. I can't believe I did that to you..." He looked away but she pulled his face back to hers and pressed her lips to his. He was stiff at first but slowly melted into the kiss. He groaned when she released him and pressed his forehead against hers. "I'm still sorry," he told her again.

"And I'm still fine," she laughed.

He rolled his eyes. "And stubborn as hell, I see."

"Hey!" She protested and went to swat his arm but thought better of it since it would probably be a lot more painful for him than she intended, seeing as it was covered in bruises. "The real question is are you okay?"

He shrugged. "I'm alright. It's nothing I haven't gone through before. Although..."

"'Although' what?"

"I've never changed twice in one day."

She cocked her head to the side. "Never?"

He shook his head, "It was always once a year. I think you know what day."

"Oh," she gasped in understanding. "Is that why I only saw you on my birthday?"

He nodded, "It's been the same day every year ever since the first change. I'm not sure why it happened but I'm glad it did, otherwise I'd never have met you. It being on your birthday was just a pleasant coincidence." He smiled warmly at her but it faltered. "I don't understand, though. I thought...I thought it was over." His eyes were troubled and she felt his own pain and confusion mirror in her.

"I did, too," she told him sadly.

He just shrugged, not knowing what to say back. He looked out of the window at the lightening sky.

"It's still early. I can make it back to my room without anyone noticing."

"I wish you didn't have to go," she told him earnestly.

"Me neither," he replied. He smirked and some of the warmth returned to his eyes. "Pretty soon I won't have to," he told her.

She blushed but held her ground and smirked back, "I can't wait." His mannerisms were rubbing off on her.

They both stood and he tried to piece his shirt back together. She chuckled at him, "Here, take this." She handed him her dark blue cloak that she took with her when she went riding. "Just make sure you give it back, it's my favorite."

He fastened it around himself and leaned down to kiss her. "What's yours is mine," he teased, before retreating from the room.

She rolled her eyes and slammed the door behind him. She could hear him still laughing down the hall as he walked away. She walked back to her bed and plopped down, sighing into her pillow and shutting her eyes. At least he was still capable of laughing, for that she was thankful. Now time for that sleep she had meant to get back to...

She heard a knock at the door. "Merida," her mothers voice rang out. "It's time to wake up, sweetie!"

She groaned and rolled out of bed. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

She didn't see Roiben again that day until the evening at dinner. He was seated next to her father, probably discussing the work they'd went over that day, and he'd smiled at her when she walked in. He looked tired but other than that completely normal. His cheeks that were bruised that morning had already healed and again she thanked his abnormally fast healing even if it was because of the curse.

She was helping her mother and the maid clear the table. They were just about done when Roiben came up to her and held out his arm. "Mind if I walk you back to your room?"

She looked at her mother for her approval. She waved her away, smiling. "Go ahead, we're almost done," Elinor told her.

She smiled gratefully and took his arm. They were walking down the hall and towards the stairs that led up to their sleeping quarters when he turned and led her down a different way instead. She looked at him questioningly.

"I forgot to grab your cloak," he explained. "My room is down this way. Just let me grab it for you really quick."

She nodded and let him lead the way. They came to a large oak door and he opened it, beckoning her inside. "I'll be quick," he promised. She stepped inside and he followed. It was a standard guest room with a wardrobe, bed, trunk, and a table where a water filled basin sat. She went to the single small window and looked out at the stars that were shining in the night sky.

"Here it is," he said, handing her the cloak she had lent. She smiled and took it from him, folding it over her arm.

"Thanks." She smiled. "It's a beautiful night," she told him, gesturing to the sky outside.

"Indeed it is," he agreed and looked out of the window with her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"That giant star is there again," she pointed out the bright light that dotted the sky that she'd seen yesterday, before everything went to hell. "I think it's bigger!"

She felt his body stiffen next to her. His arm let go of her and he stepped away, gasping for breath. "Not again," he whimpered. She stepped towards him but stopped, realizing what those words implied.

"Roiben...?"

He looked up and she could see his eyes changing again, just like the day before. "Merida," he choked out, "You have to go! Please, I can't hurt you again! Go, lock the door so I can't get out." His knees buckled and he was down on all fours, his whimpers of pain merging into low growls. She heard the first of the multitude of cracks and dashed out of the room. Trembling, she shut the door and started fastening the locks that were on the outside of the door. Her hands were shaking but she managed to get them shut before he completely changed.

She could hear scratching on the other side of the door, and then the sound of glass shattering. He must have broken the window, she realized. He was too big as a bear, though, he wouldn't be able to fit through. It was quiet for a second, then came a crash and she heard him slam into the door. She could feel the vibrations in the floor but the door didn't budge. He slammed into it again but the locks were secure.

She hadn't even noticed she was crying until the sounds of sobs reached her ears. She slumped against the wall and slid down onto the ground. Why was this happening? He didn't deserve this, neither of them did. They couldn't go through this again. She couldn't lose him, not after what they'd been through to finally be together.

She wiped her tears away. She couldn't cry anymore, she wouldn't. She had to be strong, like this morning, for him. He was putting up a fight in there and she was going to put up a fight, too. They were in this together. She fastened her cloak around herself and made herself comfortable. No one would be able to hear him, not tonight anyway. He was the only one in the guest wing. The servants quarters were on the other side of the castle near the kitchens and her families rooms were in a different wing on the floor above. No, they were all alone down here.

She rested her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. She could hear his angry low roars resonating from the room in front of her. It was going to be a long night, but they were going to spend it together.

* * *

**A/N****: Yay another chapter. I'm so feeling this story right now! Haha. Thanks for all of your pleasant reviews! I get so happy every time I get a new one. :) If you have any questions, comments, concerns, feel free to ask! I'll totally get back to you on any of that. I love getting reviews like that and it helps me make the story more enjoyable for you. Let me know what you think!**


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